SANTA MONICA — “Manzanar, Diverted: When Water Becomes Dust” will be screened, followed by Q&A with the director, on Thursday, Sept. 14, at 11:15 a.m. at HSS 105 on the Santa Monica College campus, 1900 Pico Blvd.
Ann Kaneko’s Emmy-winning feature film is a fascinating retelling of the Los Angeles water story, covering more than 150 years of history. The film follows intergenerational women from three communities who defend their land, history, and culture from the insatiable thirst of Los Angeles, and reveals the unexpected alliance of Native Americans, Japanese American World War II incarcerees, and environmentalists to preserve Payahuunadü (Owens Valley), “the land of flowing water.”
Kaneko, a professor in the Media Studies Department at Pitzer College, has been a Fulbright fellow, Japan Foundation artist, Film Independent Doc Lab fellow, and Jackson Wild multicultural fellow, and is a member of BGDM, A-Doc, and the distribution coop New Day Films.
Her films include “A Flicker in Eternity,” based on Stanley Hayami’s diary; “Against the Grain: An Artist’s Survival Guide to Peru,” highlighting Peruvian political artists; “Overstay,” about Japanese undocumented workers; and “100% Human Hair,” a musical for the AFI Directing Workshop for Women.
Sponsored by the SMC Associates, SMC Modern Languages & Cultures Department, SMC Earth Sciences Department, SMC History Department, APIDA Club, and Global Citizenship Committee.
This event is part of SMC Associates’ Fall 2023 Lecture Series. For more information, visit http://smc.edu/associates.
Visit the film’s website: https://manzanardiverted.com/